Our Lady of Lourdes

In Lourdes, France, there lived a girl named Bernadette. Mary appeared to Bernadette 18 times from February 11 to July 16, 1858, in a niche of a cave.

Bernadette had no idea who she was, just that she was a beautiful lady. During the ninth visit, February 25, Mary asked Bernadette to drink from the stream. There was no stream there. Bernadette began scooping away dirt with her hands when suddenly water began to well up and Bernadette began drinking the water. The next day there was a stream flowing and its still there today.

Mary asked that a chapel be built. Bernadette went to the Abbe and told him. He asked who the lady was that told her this and Bernadette didn't know. Bernadette asked the lady a lot of times and she always just smiled. Finally, on March 24, the lady said, " I am the Immaculate Conception."

The chapel was built in 1862.

The stream heals people and to this very day, people come from all over the world to the healing water in Lourdes.

Mary's message for us from Lourdes was penance and prayer for other people.